Ch8: Triple Double Agent pt9

Kyle considered that, and then he answered honestly, “I had two goals. First, I was attempting to determine if you were using magic to harm people. Second, I am sympathetic to your goals and I would also like to see magic distributed more widely.” The had he was holding up turned a shade of blue. It really wasn’t a good sort of light for human skin and even though they’d said they wouldn’t hurt him he couldn’t help but worry corpse like pallor it lent him might be prophetic.

“So you intend to help us?”

“I don’t know.” His skin lit by green glow really didn’t look better than it had under the blue.

“Why is that?”

“So far, I’ve seen you help out a homeless lady. I’d do that. I’m not blowing up any buildings.”

“Do you think we’re planning to blow up buildings?”

“You don’t seem like the sort of people who blow up buildings.” The light turned blue. “But I guess I’m not totally sure the kind of people who blow up buildings seem like the kind of people who would blow up buildings.” The light stayed blue which suggested it could parse some pretty twisted grammar.

“Are you reporting on us to the Archmagi?”

Kyle considered that for a moment. The Archmagi were not the cohesive group the Children understood them to be. He was reporting to Richard and Amadeus, who were reporting to the DHS. Charles might get those reports as well, though Charles seemed only slightly invested in the investigation, and he might even pass them along. However, Kyle really couldn’t believe a bunch of old grumps like Charles was and Thomas had been would pay much attention to a report that didn’t mesh with their own interests or portend the end of the world. Actually, some of them probably wouldn’t even be roused to action by the end of the world. “No.”

Mentally, Kyle crossed his fingers and hope the spell would accept that logic. Apparently it did, his hands continued to look dead.

“Who are you reporting to?”

“The mundane cops.” Even without the healthy red glow that washed over his skin Kyle would have known that answer wasn’t good enough. Alison’s face clouded over like a gathering thunderstorm. Alexander shifted his weight forward slightly and Bob stirred. Kyle wasn’t proud of the way his voice went a little high and squeaky. “I’m reporting to a couple of IP bounty hunters who will turn the information over to federal law enforcement in the event I find evidence of a federal crime! Saying cops was just sloppy!”

Alison snorted, but looked a little less like she was going to hurt him. It couldn’t be said that Alexander relaxed, but the violence sank a little further below the surface.

“Do you have evidence of a crime.”

“Um, maybe?”

Green light must have shown above his head because Alison asked, “What’s maybe.”

“You might have practiced medicine without a licensee. I don’t know if that detox spell was legal or not.”

“Are you going to report it?”

Kyle hadn’t really thought about that, but he came to a snap decision. That had been a good deed. He wouldn’t see the children get burnt for it even if they did something else wrong later on. “No.”

“Guys,” Lynn put in, “the spell is running low on power.”

Kyle wasn’t certain, but the light against the hand he was still holding up seemed to be dimming. He realized the hand probably looked a little silly and he didn’t need it anymore. He had a pretty good idea how the spell was reporting things. He dropped it to his lap.

“Why did you intervene when your associates were fighting .”

Crap, he’d done it because he wanted to be trusted. Still, saying that wouldn’t get him trusted. He thought back. In truth, and that was the important bit, he also hadn’t liked watching Bob get beat down. It had put him in mind of his own turn with Richard and Amedeus. “I didn’t like what I was seeing.”

“Do you know anything useful to us? Answer quickly.”

“Yes.”

The questions stopped. Presumably the light above his head had gone out, and the spell. That was confirmed when Alison asked Lynn, “Can we recast the spell.”

“Um, we can, but it’s kinda intense and he’s gonna have one hell of a headache as it is. I’m not sure casting it again is for the best. Is there, like, anything really important we don’t know?”

“Wait, what?” Kyle asked. He was ignored. He thought he felt a migraine coming on.

“I suppose not. Kyle, Jessie, how about you spend some time in your room. We’ve got some things to discuss.

2 comments on “Ch8: Triple Double Agent pt9”

The had he was holding up turned a shade of blue. It really wasn’t a good sort of light for human skin and even though they’d said they wouldn’t hurt him he couldn’t help but worry corpse like pallor it lent him might be prophetic.

hand not had, that he was holding up

His skin lit by green glow really didn’t look better than it had under the blue.